United States or Spain ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Lass, listen!" began Slingerland. "After you left Roarin' City Neale went at hard work. Began by heavin' ties an' rails, an' now he's slingin' a sledge.... This was amazin' to me. I seen him only onct since, an' thet was the other day. But I heerd about him. I rode over to Roarin' City several times. An' I made it my bizness to find out about Neale.... He never came into the town at all.
As soon as you'd gone, they had me in, told me that it was contrary to their principles to retain servants who took sides with other people against them, handed me a cheque, and told me to cash it forthwith and depart. And here I am!" "You don't seem to mind this very much, Mr. Neale," observed the Earl, looking keenly at this victim of summary treatment. "Do you?"
I questioned, beginning to have a faint glimmer of the truth. "Wait, and I will explain fully. Don't interrupt until I am done. Here was a peculiar situation. The administrators are all old personal friends of the testator, anxious to have the estate retained in the family. How could this be accomplished? Neale laid the case before me.
"Neale, you're more than usually excited to-day," observed Hough. "Probably was the run of luck. And then you spouted to the women." Neale confessed his offer to Ruby and Larry, and then his own impulse. "Ruby called me a fool crazy a sky-pilot. Maybe I am." "Sky-pilot! Well, the little devil!" laughed Hough. "I'll gamble she called you that before you declared yourself." "Before, yes.
But you can expect me back." And he went on his way. "Neale, shore there's somethin' in the wind," said Larry. "Wal, it jest tickles me. They can't build the railroad without you." "Would you go back to work?" queried Neale. "Shore I would if they'd have me.
Far down the line Neale saw columns of smoke rolling upward. They appeared farther on than his camp, yet they caused him apprehension. His cheek blanched at the thought that the camp containing Allie Lee might be surrounded by Indians. His fears, however, were groundless, for soon he saw the white tents and the cabins, with the smoke columns rising far below.
"Here's the kind of man we want on this job!" he shouted, with red face and bulging jaw. "His name's Neale. I've heard of some of his surveys. You've all seen him face this council. That only, gentlemen, is the spirit which can build the U. P. R. Let's push him up. Let's send him to Washington with those figures.
Hough seemed both surprised and pleased with the confidence, and he said he would go out of his way to help Neale. Neale had to run to catch the train. A brawny Irishman extended a red-sleeved arm to help him up. "Up wid yez. Thor!" Neale found himself with bag and rifle and blanket sprawling on the gravel-covered floor of a flat car.
Neale watched them pass, seeing the truth in the red eyes, the heavy lids, the open mouths, the look and gait and gesture. A wild frenzy had fastened upon their minds. He found an added curiosity in studying the faces of Ancliffe and Hough. The Englishman had run his race. Any place would suit him for the end. Neale saw this and marveled at the man's ease and grace and amiability.
An' hyar I I am an' thar's the gold." Allie stared at the pack, bewildered by Slingerland's story. Suddenly she sat up and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "Gold! Horn's gold! But it's not mine! Did Neale send it to me?" "Every ounce," replied the trapper, soberly. "I reckon it's yours. Thar was no one else left an' you recollect what Horn said.
Word Of The Day